Violence broke out between protesters outside an event where controversial right-wing commentator Milo Yiannopoulos was scheduled to speak in Melbourne on December 4. Nine News reported that police used pepper spray to subdue a number of people as about 100 anti-fascist protesters from Campaign Against Racism and Fascism faced off against around 30 far-right supporters from Reclaim Australia and the True Blue Crew. Yiannopoulos’s sold-out Melbourne talk was part of his speaking tour in Australia, which began in Adelaide on Friday. Credit: Twitter/Max Koslowski @MaxKoslowski via Storyful

December 4th 2017

6 months ago

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Right-wing British provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos’ promoters will be hit with a $50,000 bill from Victoria Police. Picture: AFP/ Mark GrahamSource:AFP

THE ORGANISER behind controversial Milo Yiannopoulos’ Melbourne event is refusing to cough up $50,000 to cover the cost of police after a violent protest broke out.

Penthouse publisher Damien Costas, the man who organised Milo Yiannopoulos’s tour, told 3AW he had no intention of paying the five-figure bill from Victoria Police, following the Kensington clash.

Mr Costas said he’d already paid the agreed amount of $5000 to $6000.

Right-wing British provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos’ promoters will be hit with a $50,000 bill from Victoria Police. Picture: AFP/ Mark GrahamSource:AFP

“I can’t imagine we would (pay the larger bill),” he said.

“In Melbourne they were talking about a user pays model but a particular sergeant at our head of security we were dealing with said ‘We’d like you to pay for the barriers, bollards etc’.”

“I think the entire thing was about five or $6000.”

“I paid what I was asked to pay. Anything over and above that we can determine.”

“This is actually asking the victim to pay the bill.”

He said user-pay models were discussed in every state and he’d paid about $9000 for police in the Gold Coast and nothing in New South Wales.